He was relieved to see his father but worried about the injury.
Cole didn’t want to waste time, Marilee showed him where the medical office was and he immediately took Malcolm there.
They arrived back on the cusp of dusk. They’d rest for the night and have a service for John and Maggie in the morning, then move out.
Four different vehicles, four directions, to throw off Salvation. All meeting up at the same place.
That was the plan.
Meredith was quiet all evening and in a deep state of mourning. She stayed close to Hunter who not only dug John’s grave, but also worked on a marker for it. Nora believed that Meredith felt safe with Hunter, that the world couldn’t hurt her when he was there. A lot of the group viewed him that way.
While she wouldn’t eat much, Nora was able to get her to sip on a cup of moonshine. It would relax her and help her sleep.
The others rested by the fire pit. It had been a long day, a hard day, and six hours later, Cole was still working on Malcolm. Nora spent her time checking on his progress and checking on Marilee and Meredith, avoiding her own situation.
Rick.
He was back in her life. How would she justify what was happening between her and Jason? Did she need to justify it? She hadn’t really spoken to him much other than to hear about how he was almost killed.
Jason was handling things fine, he was confident and not jealous, or worried in anyway. He was in the church working on his service for John and Maggie when Nora checked on him.
“Oh, perfect,” Jason said, accepting the moonshine.
“I didn’t know if it was against church rules to get you a drink.”
“Well it is not only acceptable, it is expected.” Jason smiled and grabbed her hand. “Hey, how does this sound?”
“Go on.”
Jason lifted the paper and read. “John was the fiction writer who made us all see the reality of survival. He was never without a sarcastic and humorous thing to say. His quips will be missed, but many will live on.” He set down the paper. “Just random thoughts. What do you think?”
“It’s good.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You haven’t talked to him yet, have you?”
“No,” Nora answered in a whine. “I mean what am I supposed to say, ‘oh, hey Rick, by the way, in the last few weeks, because you know, it’s been thirty years, I found a hot guy, who used to get facial peels, to sleep with.’”
“Hot guy? And come on, we’re more than bed partners and you know it.”
“Yeah.”
“And you don’t need to tell him about us yet. That will come. We have time. Just talk to him, I’m sure he has a ton of things to share with you.”
“I do want to know about Lilly.”
“See. Go talk to him,” Jason said.
“What if he…?”
“Nora.” Jason set down the pencil. “I think you’re missing an important point. Rick married someone else. He fell in love and loved this person for years, right? He told Malcolm that he felt bad because, basically, he was over you. When he woke up today …he loved his wife. That doesn’t go away Darlin’. Now, instead of pacing, wasting time and being worried about his feelings toward you, be a friend and ask about his feelings toward everything.”
“Wow, you’re good.”
“I know.”
“Even with harsh skin.” Nora leaned forward and kissed him. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here.”
Jason was right, and Nora, carrying the jug of moonshine, walked outside. Rick was by the fire. He looked out of place. The only one there that was from Salvation. Although he could talk about subjects of the past and everyone would understand.
When she arrived, Rick had just finished telling a story about the virus and how things shut down. He peered up to her with a “Hey.”
“Hey.” Nora sat down and put the moonshine on the ground next to her.
Rick nodded at the jug. “I knew you like to drink, but are we bypassing glasses now.”
“No.” She laughed. “I’m just making sure everyone has some.”
“How are you Nora?”
“Sad. My friend was killed. We lost a newcomer.”
“And?”
“And what?” Nora asked.
“Well, I was waiting. You used to follow sad with sarcastic or funny no matter what the subject. Unless it was like, tragic. But that was you. You covered your feelings with humor.”
“I think I lost my funny.”
“No.” Rick said.
“Yeah, no kidding. When I told everyone I was a comedian, they said, they didn’t get it. They said I don’t strike them as funny. Hunter laughs at my jokes.” She shrugged. “How about you? How are you?”
“Tired. Emotional. Glad to see you.” He squeezed her hand. “Even though I probably look like my father to you.”
Nora crinkled her brow. “You do.”
“I figured as much.”
“I know you remarried. What happens now with your wife? I mean, you’ll want to go back for her and Lilly.”
“I’m dead to them.”
“Oh, no.” Nora gasped. “What did you do?”
“Nora, no.” Rick laughed. “I’m dead. In Salvation you leave when you turn seventy. That’s the rules, like it or not. On your seventieth birthday they throw you a ‘Better Life’ party, your family all say good bye, your spouse gets a settlement, and they take you, and put you to sleep like a dog. But …” he exhaled. “When they took me they told me they were taking me to your group and I would live with all of you. I was happy that I didn’t have to die, but I … And I’m so sorry if this hurts you, but I would rather be home with Jeanette right now.”
“I’m not hurt. I understand.”
“She has my heart.”
“Okay that stung a little bit,” Nora said. “But I’ll get beyond it.”
“There it is. A tad of humor. Maybe you just need to bring it out.”
“Maybe.”
“So, do you have, I hate to use the word boyfriend, but someone you’re close to in this new world for you?”
“Kind of yeah,” Nora said.
“Malcolm?”
“What? No.” Nora laughed. “Jason.”
“The guy who looks like he used to be a pop star when he was young. The preacher?” Rick shook his head. “He a good guy?”
“Actually, he’s a really good guy.”
“Good. Because I’ll be watching.” Rick grabbed her hand. “We always had a good connection. I need that friendship with you. And whatever this world tosses, we’ll get through it.”
“Yes, we will.”
“Now pass me that moonshine, will you?”
Nora did so, with pleasure.
<><><><>
“The bullet was deep,” Cole explained to Trey. “Luckily he’s fleshy.”
From the other room, Malcolm yelled out. “I’m not fat, if that’s what you’re saying.”
Cole pulled the door closed. “He’ll have to take it easy on that leg. It’ll heal. He’s not resting as you can see, so if you spot Nora and that jug of moonshine, send her in here.”
“I will. Can I go talk to him?”
“Sure. But make it quick. I want him to sleep.”
Trey thanked Cole, and after a single knock walked into the small hospital style room. “Sorry, I’m your nurse.”
“I’m fine. Just please send Nora in here with the moonshine.”
“I’ll do that.”
“While I’ve been in here, have you guys discussed where we are headed?”
“Not really. East. That’s as far as we got.”
“I just wished we knew. I mean, are they already chasing us, will they chase us?”
Trey’s eyes widened.
“What?” Malcolm asked.
“Maggie’s Aldervice. I can make a private connection without Salvation hearing. They’ll think Maggie is calling, they don’t know she’s de
ad.” He pulled out the Aldervice.
“Who are you calling?”
The Aldervice beeped.
Colonel Norris answered. “Maggie, how are you feeling?”
“It’s not Maggie. It’s Trey.”
“Yes. I am well, aware. You need to take care of yourself.”
“Can you tell us anything?”
“SalCom notified me there was trouble. We lost four medical personnel. They say the Genesis people slaughtered them all. We’re supposed to start a search tomorrow for them. We believe they headed south. Not sure. Maybe back to Texas. We’ll find them. Eventually. As long as they stay away from the Wasteland. My men won’t go there.”
“Thank you,” Trey said. “Thank you so much for that.”
“You’re welcome. And um, Maggie, don’t lose your Aldervice. They locked a trace on it and we don’t want to lose track of you in case of trouble.”
“Thank you. Thanks again.” Trey ended the call.
“I thought he was a dick at first,” Malcolm said. “But he turned into a nice guy. Even if he didn’t know who Chuck Norris was.”
“Don’t let him fool you, he did,” Trey said. “Okay, so we know. They’ll be coming for us. Lose the Aldervice and get a move on it, first thing. “
“And he told us where to go. You should go tell Hunter and the others.”
“I will. I’ll be back.” Trey moved to the door.
“And bring that moonshine.” After calling out the order, Malcolm felt the pain in his leg. It caused him to cringe, and he guessed it would hurt him for some time.
He rested back and began to think about things. He had to think about the days ahead and where it would take them. Planning ahead was not like it used to be, in the new world, under the new circumstances, it was one day at a time. It was possible that for a while they would live a life on the run. Malcolm’s only hope was that after all they had been through, lost, and all that had been taken from them, that one day, they would be able to just stop running and live some sort of normal existence.
That was his goal and he would do whatever it took to make that happen for them all.
EPILOGUE
Eighteen Months AR
Nora paused to blow on her frozen finger tips. She would have loved nothing more than to have a full pair of gloves, but it was impossible to pull the potato plants while wearing them. The wind had picked up, it also had started to snow a little, making the ground harder. It was not the weather they expected in October, not in Virginia. When they settled there a year earlier, the weather was perfect, hunting was good, and the first winter was unbelievably mild. Meredith kept telling them, don’t be fooled. They needed to go farther South. But farther South was out of the wasteland zone, and it was a chance they couldn’t take.
Hunter found what he believed was the perfect place. And it was. They were doing well, they weren’t starving. Illnesses were minimal. No one had died. That was an accomplishment. They stayed away from people at first, until a random scouting trip by Blake connected them with a man named, Scooter.
Scooter recognized Meredith right away and through him they got involved with other communities, and trade.
Salvation, they were glad to know, had never been in those parts.
Malcolm proved himself to not only be a great leader of the small group, but the community klutz as well. Since waking from stasis he had the arm infection, been shot, broke his wrist when he fell off a horse, burned his nose, and numerous other injuries. The latest being broken fingers when he was helping Rick build a fence. Rick didn’t want him to help knowing Malcolm’s luck, but Malcolm insisted and there went his fingers. Which was why Nora and Dillard covered his turn in the fields.
It took Meredith several months to get back to normal. She started learning medicine from Cole. A back up doctor, she claimed.
Jason hadn’t changed much, he ran his own church with a congregation of twelve, but did learn to make the best moonshine. That didn’t come as a surprise to Nora. Hunter being the taste tester did, though.
She wanted some of that moonshine in the middle of the fields, but then she wouldn’t feel the cold at all and would end up with frostbite. That too had happened to Malcolm.
Nora watched Dillard as he worked. He was unbelievably intelligent. He didn’t speak much about his time at Salvation, other than the food was weird. He was at an advantage. Those chosen for stasis in the genesis project were the top minds in the world, and Dillard was being educated by them all.
He would be, without a doubt, a leader in the future.
“Okay, sorry,” Nora said to Dillard, shaking her hands. “What were you saying?”
“There has seriously got to be an easier way to do this. Can’t we plant them earlier so we pull them earlier?”
“This is a yearly plant. We have them all year. Besides, our quota is twenty. How many do we have?”
“Four.”
“See. Almost halfway there.”
“For real? You only dug up one.”
“That’s because you have them little baby hands and can really get in the dirt.”
Dillard stood. “My hands are cold.”
“Here.” Nora reached out. “I’ll blow on them for you.”
“No, that’s gross. Stop.” He pulled his hands away and squatted again. “Why couldn’t this wait?”
“Because we want meat and potatoes. Hunter got fresh meat. Your mom needs it.”
Dillard paused. “Do you think the baby will look like Hunter?”
“Are you asking because there was radiation here a while back?”
“No, I’m asking because he’s the father.”
“Then yes. Yes. I do. But with hair. Maybe not at first, but eventually.” Nora said as she watched Dillard put two more potatoes in the basket.
“You think you and Jason will ever have a baby?”
“No.” Nora said quickly. “And you know what. Let’s stop. I’ll mash these.”
“Good call.” Dillard jumped up. “Wait. Are you gonna make me peel them again.”
“Not if you can beat me back to town carrying that basket. Ready?”
Dillard excitedly nodded.
“Go.”
Without hesitation, Dillard took off. Nora did not. She shook her head, laughing over the fact that he actually believed she was going to run that half of a mile.
She took her time walking back, she’d probably wouldn’t peel the potatoes anyhow. The walk was always peaceful and quiet, no matter how cold or hot it was.
Life was different for her than it was before she went into stasis. How could it not be? Gone was the internet, phones, television, and texting. The only social media they had was when one of the villages had an event and they sent a notice by messenger.
There were a lot of things she missed, like the ease of living and more so than anything, her daughters. She missed them with her entire being every day of her life. Rick filled her with daily stories of the life she missed.
Nora had regrets, but nothing she couldn’t live with. She really didn’t have a chance to dwell on regrets. When it boiled down to it, she truly was happy, but in a different way. It was a new life in a new world and like the others, she was going to make the best of it.
<><><><>
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Reset (Book 2): Salvation Page 23
